Surface Laptop now lets you go back to Windows 10 S from Pro upgrade

While the Surface Laptop is a thing of beauty, there are a few things that make it somewhat less appealing. There’s the rather exorbitant price tag for a computer aimed at students. There’s also the rather disappointing repairability score iFixit recently discovered. And then there’s the one way ticket from the limited environs of Windows 10 S to the full power of Windows 10 Pro. Now at least one of those problems has been solved. And, no, it’s not the price.

When Microsoft fully revealed Windows 10 S, especially in its incarnation inside the Surface Laptop, it made it known that users can easily upgrade to Windows 10 Pro if they want to and if their device can actually support running a heavier version of Windows 10. In fact, at least until later this year, Surface Laptop owners can do exactly that free of charge.

The one caveat, which Microsoft didn’t disclose until a bit later, was that it was a one-way street. Once you’ve unleashed the full power of Windows 10 Pro, you cannot go back again. It seems that Microsoft has softened it stance there a bit. You can now go back to Windows 10 S on the Surface Laptop bu it isn’t actually a smooth downgrade. It basically means resetting the device.

Microsoft has just made available a recovery image for the Surface Laptop, allowing users to go back to pristine settings. It can, therefore, be used to effectively go back to Windows 10 S from Windows 10 Pro. The catch is that, like any recover process, it means wiping your files and programs.

It’s not going to be a smooth and painless route, but it at least softens the image of Windows 10 S. That said, this is only for the Surface Laptop, and it might not be true for other Windows 10 S devices that have yet to come.